In our fifth reading of this text and related scriptures, we find God’s roles for the married man and woman in daily life. The man is to be lover, leader, and learner. The woman is to be follower, fan, and friend. And when a marriage is rightly ordered, it reflects our salvation as it points to the relationship […]
God’s formation of man to oversee His creation extends to the man’s authority for the care and protection of those who worship God, up to and including today’s church. God’s creation of woman to help him also extends to the role of women in that arena. Today’s fourth reading of the text in this series lays the […]
In this installment on the subject of marriage we continue to mine our Genesis text for more of the Christian worldview in this gift from God. There we find that God has at least three purposes for a couple united in marriage–joy and unity in their life together, the sign of sexual intimacy, and growth toward […]
Marriage is defined by God. When He formed Eve and presented her to Adam, He established man and woman in a lifelong covenant relationship. This second in a series of sermons explains that two things characterize a good marriage, faithfulness and love.
The origin of marriage is found in the text for this first in a series of sermons on marriage. When God created Adam, He gave him work to do and worship to enjoy in the garden He had created. But Adam was incomplete and needed a helper. He needed another like himself with whom he could fulfill God’s […]
In his account of the crucifixion, gospel writer Mark emphasizes the shame heaped on Jesus. This derision and accusation leveled against the righteous by the unrighteous, is more blasphemy than mere mocking or ridicule. But those who scoffed in that day are not alone. We join with them by our disbelief or our neglect of the Son […]
God accomplishes His purposes through faithful leaders in His church. From the elders under Moses to the elders of today’s church, the biblical image often used for these is the shepherd. In our text, Jeremiah the prophet condemns Israel’s elders for scattering the flock and declares the Lord’s will to care for the remnant by providing faithful […]
God’s covenant with Adam in the garden was conditional. To the obedient man the tree of life and all its blessings were his and his descendants. By this, Adam became the representative, the federal head, of humanity. Therefore, when Adam sinned, the effect was disastrous, a sin nature inherited by all his descendants and evident […]